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Ralph chose the firm strip as a path because he needed to think; and only here could he allow his feet to move without having to watch them. Suddenly, pacing by the water, he was overcome with astonishment. He found himself understanding the wearisomeness of this life, where every path was an improvisation and a considerable part of one's waking life was spent watching one's feet.

— William Golding

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More quotes by William Golding

I think women are foolish to pretend they are equal to men — they are far superior and always have been.

Introduction to his reading of Lord of the Flies in the unabridged audio version (1980)

Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.

Lord of the Flies (1954)

"How can you expect to be rescued if you don’t put first things first and act proper?"

Lord of the Flies (1954)

Sleep is when all unsorted stuff comes as from a dustbin upset in a high wind.

Pincher Martin (1956)

Novelists do not write as birds sing, by the push of nature. It is part of the job that there should be much routine and some daily stuff on the level of carpentry.

A Moving Target (1982)

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: William Golding (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.